Device for supporting sheets of paper and the like



Dec, W 1929 c, s, 0 1,739,057

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING SHEETS OF PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 22, 1927 JmUer C/ zarias J Boa/1*.

ltd

Patented Dec. 10, 1929 PATENT OFFICE CHARLES S. BOOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR TO ANDREW HOFFMAN MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING SHEETS OF PAPER AND THE LIKE Application filed August 22, 1927. Serial No. 214,568.

The wall of a schoolroom, in, addition to providing blackboard space, is Very often required to serve as a support for papers whlch are being displayed, the larger papers, such as the charts and maps, being suspended from hooks, and the smaller papers, such as the notices and drawings, being heldby thumb tacks.

This invention is particularly concerned with the fastening of the smaller papers. The thumb. tacks ordinarily used to secure such papers are forced through the papers either into the woodwork or into small blocks which are shiftably positioned in a slotted rail attached to the woodwork. The thumb tacks are objectionable, however, because if they are forced into the woodwork, the woodwork soon becomes unsightly, while if they are forced into small blocks, the blocks soon become so filled with perforations as to be no longer serviceable. The thumb tacks are also objectionable because they are continually being dropped on the floor and stepped upon,

with sometimes serious consequences.

The object of thls invention 1s to provide a novel device for fastening papers against ilm the Wall of a schoolroom. The device is in the form of a shiftable paper clip, and does away with any need for thumb tacks.

Several different forms of the invention are presented herein for the purpose of exemplification butit will of course be understood that the invehtio'n is susceptible of embodiment in other forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device applied to the wall of a sf'hoolroom;

Fig. 2 is a frontview of the device:

Fig. 3 is a. vertical section through the device;

Fig. 4: is another vertical section through the device, corresponding to 3, showing the manner in which the clip can be removed from the rail;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification of the device;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 5 5

Fig. 7 is a Vertical section through the device shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another modification of the device;

Fig. 9 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 8; V

Fig. 10 is a vertical section through the device shown in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of still another modification of the device.

The device illustrated in Figs. l to t in clusive willfirst be described. As will be observed, the device includes a sheet metal channel rail 11 of generally U-shaped cross section. The rail is provided with upper and lower flanges 12 and 13 which extend toward each other. The upper flange is of uniform widthfrom one end of the rail to the other, while the lower flange is provided at intervals with notches 14 for a purpose which will be explained later.

The rail is adapted to be attached by screws or other suitable means to the upper casing member 15 of a backboard 16 mounted on a Wall .17. It may also be attached to a moulding on the wall, or to the Wall proper. in case it is attached to a casing member, for in stance, it may advantageously be rabheted into the same, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby to bring the flanges 12 and 13 of the rail flush with the front face of the member.

A paper clip 18 is slidably positioned in the rail. The throat of the clip is resiliently expansible and opens downwardly in substantially the same plane as the front face of the rail. The clip consists of a thin spring metal stamping which is generally rectangular as viewed from the front. The stamping is bent as shown in 3 to form a back portion 19 against which the upper margin of a sheet of paper 20 is adapted to be positioned and a front portion 21 which presses resiliently in the direction of the back portion 19 and se curely clamps the upper margin of;thcpaper{ againstthe same, .Thefront portion 21ot are clip terminates ihhii outwardly projecting tip 22 which may be easily grasped to spring the front portion 2-1 outwardly away from the back portion during insertion or removal of the paper. a

If it is desired to remove the clip from the rail for any reason, the clip is shifted to a position opposite the notch 14, raised slightly in the rail, and swung out of the same throng 5 the notch, as shown in Fig. 4, the guide portions of the clip within the rail being of slightly less height than the inside of the rail to permit of this. If it is desired to prevent the clip from being removed at all, the guide portions of the same within the rail are made substantially the full height of the inside of the rail.

The device shown in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive is mounted and functions in the same way as the device above described, the only difference being in the shaping of the clip. In this form, the resilient front portion 23 of the clip consists of a reversely bent tongue which presses into a rectangular aperture 24 in the back portion 25 of the clip. a

The device shown inFigs. 8 to 10 inclusive differs from the devices previously described in that the clip, instead of being formedas a stamping of thin spring metal, is formed of 2!! spring wire. Like the other forms, it is characterized by -a resiliently expansible throat between front and back portions 26 and 27. The device shown in Fig. 11 is somewhat similar to that shown in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, but the front and back portions 28 and 29 of the stamping which form the resiliently expansible throat are not on the same level as the opening in the rail, bein "positioned instead a considerable distance elow the same. I claim: i

1. A device of the character described for application to a wall against which papers are to be fastened, consisting of a forwardly opening horizontal channel rail having a substantially vertical front face, and'a paper clip formed Ofspring-metaI slid'ably positioned in the channel of the rail, said clip having a downwardly opening resiliently expansible throat portion outside of the channel arranged in such position as to hold a sheet of paper in substantially the same plane as the opening in the channel.

2. A device of the character described for application to a wall against which papers are m to be fastened, consisting of a horizontal rail, and a paper clip slidably associated with the rail, said clip being characterized by a downwardly opening resiliently expansible throat portion, a finger-engaging portion with which to pull the throat portion open, and means for preventing the clip from moving outwardlly when said finger-engaging portion is pulle In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' CHARLES s. BOCK. 

